52 • BEVAN, JOHN
biography was published in 1977. She died in 2000, soon after the
loss of her husband.BEVAN, JOHN.John Bevan was the head of London Controlling Sec-
tion, the strategicdeceptioncoordinating organization in London
during World War II that supervised campaigns such asfortitude
(the deception campaign to cover theD-Dayinvasion of Europe) and
the means used to convey the false information to the enemy. A
stockbroker in civilian life, Bevan had fought in World War I and in
May 1942 was appointed to replaced Oliver Stanley. Assisted by
Dennis Wheatley, Bevan’s first achievement was the cover plan for
thetorchlandings in North Africa.
BIG LEMON.A Greek from Istanbul,big lemonwas the leader of
the lemons, a pair ofAbwehrspies arrested in Cyprus in 1943.big
lemonwas imprisoned by Security Intelligence Middle East (SIME),
while his radio operator worked for SIME as adouble agent.
BIGGS, ERNEST.A one-legged tea importer based in Stockholm, Er-
nest Biggs participated inlumps, an ill-fated 1940 scheme with the
local British Petroleum representative, Harry Gill, to destroy the port
facilities in Oxelo ̈sund, through which iron ore was exported to Ger-
many. Devised bySection Dand led byAlexander Rickman, the
plan failed when Rickman was arrested by the Swedish Security Po-
lice in April and sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment. Biggs was
caught in possession of two suitcases filled with dynamite and re-
ceived five years. Two other conspirators, Arne Behrisch and Elsa
Johansson, were sentenced to three and a half years’ imprisonment.
Biggs was released in October 1941 and flown to Scotland to join
Special Operations Executive’sF Section.
BINGHAM, CHARLOTTE.The daughter ofJohn Binghamand
Madeleine Bingham, Charlotte Bingham wrote the first volume of
her autobiography at age 19 while she was struggling with her short-
hand and working during the day as a typist inMI5’sRegistry.Cor-
onet among the Weedswas an instant and hilarious success. Soon
afterward, she married actor and writer Terence Brady and together
they formed a successful writing partnership.Lucindafollowed in